Episode 37 - El Clasico Preview, Real Madrid vs. Dortmund, and Xabi Alonso to City?

On this episode, Patrick and Ravi discuss Real Madrid's 5-2 win over Dortmund and the injuries to Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo. Next, they preview the Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich Champions League match today and how the game might be insightful for El Clasico on Saturday. They then dive into the best lineups for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, how much injured (Dani Olmo and Gavi) and older (Luka Modric) might play, and give their predictions for the final score. They end the conversation with Xabi Alonso's rumoured exit from Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the season, potential landing spots, and if he will actually leave. Enjoy! Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://www.thetransferflow.com/subscribe Join Variance Betting: https://www.thetransferflow.com/upgrade Follow us on our Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1WTKOt7byrELQcGRSzu1Q X: https://x.com/TheTransferFlow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetransferflow/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transferflowpodcast Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:02 - Real Madrid vs. Dortmund 04:32 - Real Madrid’s defense was shocking 05:32 - Different Midfield lineups Madrid has used 06:50 - Ravi’s pre-game prediction 07:48 - Bellingham last season vs. this season 09:43 - Modric, Valverde, and Madrid’s Galactico mindset 11:02 - How do they fix their midfield issues? 11:41 - How much will Modric play? 14:08 - Will Rodrygo be the odd man out? 15:12 - Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich Preview 16:20 - A good test for Bayern 17:39 - Barcelona players returning from injury 18:50 - How much can Gavi give them? 21:02 - What front 3 will Barcelona play? 22:35 - Giving minutes to returning players against Bayern 23:33 - What lineup will Madrid use against Barcelona? 24:10 - Courtois injury for Madrid 25:19 - An offensive vs. defensive lineup 26:37 - Stylistic matchups 28:21 - Should Barcelona play more conservatively? 30:11 - Both teams are weak at fullback 31:13 - Lewandowski should play as a pivot 31:57 - Ideal lineup for Barcelona 33:21 - Ravi’s predictions for El Clasico 35:38 - Patrick’s prediction for El Clasico 36:45 - Flick’s first Clasico 37:12 - A La Liga game vs. a Champions League game 39:19 - Leverkusen rumoured to be looking for a Xavi Alonso replacement 40:14 - The timing with Txiki’s departure and Pep’s contract expiring 40:52 - Real Madrid also make sense 41:34 - Hugo Viana and Ruben Amorim 42:21 - The obvious spot for Xabi Alonso 44:25 - What happens if Carlo Ancelotti doesn’t want to leave? 47:18 - Alonso’s contract ends in 2026 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices